Absent
by Rivan Warrioress
Summary: What seemed like Chase just pulling a sickie just became alot more serious. Chase Angst
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - Absent

House grumbled slightly as he limped into his office, and it was 9:30 on a Monday morning. He expected to find all three of hid "ducklings" to be waiting for him, their eyes eager for signs on House that he was in a slightly more mellow mood than he was usually, however, Greg House was shocked and thoroughly annoyed to find only one of the ducklings in the conference room. Cameron looked up at him reproachfully as he limped in and deposited his bag on a unoccupied chair. Seeming to ignore her, House walked across the room to the coffee pot and poured himself a mug. Turning to face the dark haired woman he broke the icey silence in the room.

"So where's the wombat boy?" he asked, taking a sip of coffee. He was instantly reminded that within his team, Chase was the coffee maker. He quickly turned around again and emptied its contents down the sink. Cameron took a breath in.

"I don't know, he hasn't come in yet. Foreman had to do some clinic hours, but Chase hasn't shown up yet. I'm worried about him."

"Why, he's a big wombat, he can look after himself" House asked, leaning on his cane.

"You know how work obsessed he is, House. I don't think he's taken a day off since he started working here. He even comes in when he's sick, but you or Cuddy usually send him home. He hasn't even called in sick." Cameron blurted. The last time she had seen Chase had been Saturday night, when they'd gone out together, and had wound up back at her house. She hadn't been looking forward to how awkward this morning might've been, but then she'd arrived at work, and had found Chase absent. Now she was worried about him. He had been progressively more and more silent over the last couple of months, abd Cameron was fearful that something could've happened. House shrugged, noticing, but pretending to ignore how worried Cameron was.

"So, maybe he's forgotten. Maybe he was out clubbing all weekend. Maybe he didn't get much sleep because he slept with a certain co-worker of his, but I'm the only one on this team who can come into work this late on a Monday morning" House declared. He limped across to the phone and dialled in Chase's home phone number, "Oh, and you'd better page Foreman as well, I want to completely rip into the furry marsupial with everyone present" he added. Cameron rolled her eyes and pulled put her pager.


	2. Chapter 2

House angrily slammed the phone down as Foreman walked into the room.

"Did I miss something" he asked as he sat down beside Cameron. House rolled his eyes.

"The Wombat has decided not to arrive at work today, not decided to call in sick, and now he stubbornly refuses to pick up his phone" House angrily told Foreman. Foreman just shrugged.

"Maybe he's a really heavy sleeper, or he's stuck in traffic, or he just doesn't want to talk to you, House" he suggested. Cameron, who was becoming more and more upset with every passing minute burst out.

"Foreman, For Gods sake, this is Chase we're talking about. He's devoted to work. He practically lives here. He would've at least called ahead if he was going to be this late. Foreman looked at his watch and had to agree with what Cameron was saying. It was now fast approaching 10:00, far too late for his 'sleep in' theory. Foreman looked up at House, who was looking down at the floor, obviously deep in thought.

"What do you think," he asked. House looked up at Cameron and Foreman.

"It is very unusual, but he could be stuck in traffic." House admitted, but Cameron shook her head.

"I know the route Chase uses to get to work, and I was listening to the traffic reports on the radio. There isn't any major traffic jams or accidents between his house and here, even on any of the other routes." She told her boss and college. House raised his eyebrows.

"When did you do all of this?" he asked. Cameron blushed slightly, embarrassed that House could see how worried she was about Chase.

"Before you arrived, and when you went to ask Wilson if he'd seen Chase I checked again." She admitted. House nodded, pleased that one of his employees had taken the intuition to do something like that, because it meant that he didn't have to. House leant against his cane in silence. As much as he didn't want to show it infront of Foreman and Cameron, he was worried about Chase. The young Australian's desire to do well and prove himself to House had been a welcome change for House. Finally, he made a decision.

"Right, Cameron and I are going over to Chase's and dragging his sorry arse back here, Foreman, you can make sure that Cuddy doesn't know we're gone. Okay, Cameron, you're with me. He lead the brunette doctor out of the room, whilst Foreman, sighinh heavily began to organize himself. Ensuring he was alone, he muttered under his breath

"I don't care what condition Chase is in, I'm going to make it a lot worse for him when he comes in."

House parked his motorbike outside the block of flats Chase lived in. Cameron hurriedly dismounted and pulled off the Helmet House had insisted she wear.

"I don't care how much it costs, I'm so getting a taxi back to work" she muttered under her breath. House shot a greasy look at her.

"Oh come on, It wasn't that bad" he told her, leading her up to the main entrance of the building. Cameron jerked open the door, ignoring House's comment, intent on finding out why Chase was missing.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3- Searching

House stood outside the door to Chase's apartment, contemplating the lock on the door. Finally, he turned around and faced Cameron.

"For a guy whose job involves breaking into houses, he isn't very good at home security" House commented as he pulled out his credit card. He skilfully wriggled the card around in the lock, and mere moments later there was a satisfying click and the door marginally creaked open. House smirked over his shoulder at Cameron.

"Piece of Pavlova" he muttered entering Chase's apartment, and leaving Cameron on the threshold puzzling at Houses knowledge of Australian Desserts.

House and Cameron stood in the middle of Chase's unnaturally tidy living room, scouring their surroundings for any sign that may indicate the young, blond doctor's disappearance. House too once glance around the room and snorted.

"Chase, Get your lazy butt out here" he yelled. The only noise was the floor beneath Cameron creaking slightly as she bent to examine a couple of note books that lay on the coffee table. Interested she picked two of them up and flicked through.

"Hey, House, come and look at this", she told her employer, showing him the books. House was surprised to notice that they seemed to be the notes of Rowan Chase. Cameron looked questioningly at House.

"Why would Chase be reading his fathers notes?" she asked. House shrugged, pretending to not care.

"Check the bathroom and the bedroom. I'm assuming you know where they are. I'll check the kitchen and in here, got it." House told Cameron. She nodded, and walked to Chase's bathroom. House smirked lightly, and then hurried to Chase's fridge to check what his youngest Duckling had to drink.

Cameron slowly closed the medicine cabinet. Their hadn't been anything of remote interest in there. She cast her eyes around the room one last time, ensuring she hadn't missed anything, before leaving the room. She walked up the passage way to Chase's bedroom door, surprised to se it closes. Turning the knob, she pushed up against the door and slowly pushed it open…

**A.N. Hi, cliff hanger. Bask in the evilness. Thank-you to all of the positive reviews, keep them coming. Next chapter should be up soon. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A.N. If you are affected by really sad stories, I recommend you have tissues on standby.**

Chapter 4 – Discovery

Cameron froze as her eyes fell upon the scene in Chase's bedroom. Chase lay, sprawled out and face down, across his bed, drenched in blood. Pools of red stained the carpet near one of the bedside tables. Cameron shook her head and raced to Chase's side, tears sliding down her cheeks. She carefully rolled him over, Trying to locate where the blood had come from. Franticly she felt for a pulse at his neck, her tears mixing with his blood. Cameron felt her jaw drop when she located the cause of the amount of blood. Chase's wrists hung over the edge of the bed, dripping blood from the large, deep slashes that had severed the arteries. Cameron drew in a breath.

"House" she screamed, "Come here, quick. Help. Call an ambulance." Cameron faintly heard House grumbling as he limped up the passage, but she ignored it, her attention focused on Chase. She ripped a pillowcase off one of the pillows and pressed it against one bloody wrist, and then repeating the process with the other. By that time house had finally reached the doorway. He stood, shocked for a moment, taking in the scene. Chase, drenched in his own blood, unconscious in Cameron's lap, while she, also covered in his blood, tried to stem the blood flow from his wrists. Quietly he limped into the room.

"Is he dead?" he asked Cameron. She looked up at him, her face tear stained.

"No" she sobbed, "He still has a pulse, but it's weak. He needs a blood transfusion, badly"

"Damn," House whispered, trying not to let Cameron hear. He failed.

"What?" she asked, dreading the answer.

"Chase is AB- blood type; I don't know anyone else who has that blood group. It's one of the rarest." House grimly told Cameron. Cameron sobbed and held Chase close to her, maintaining the pressure on his wrists. House hurried to Chase's linen cupboard and grabbed extra towels and sheets. He carried them back to Cameron, before calling for an ambulance from his mobile. Cameron sat on Chase's bed, trying hard not to think of the last time she'd been here. They'd gone out to dinner and caught a movie, before returning to Chase's house and making out in the very bed that Chase lay on now, dying. She felt him stir gently against her and gazed down at his pale, cold face. She gently brushed one of the strands of his thick, golden hair out of his face and smiled down at him, while he weakly opened his eyes.

"Hey" she whispered, comforting him with the sound of her voice. Weakly, Chase coughed and looked up at her, trying to focus on her. 'Was he dead, was he seeing an angel, had his plan to end his own life before he ruined anyone else's worked?' Chase shook those thoughts out of his head, struggling to see through the thick fog that clouded his vision. Again he heard the voice of an angel, his angel through the fog. Surrendering all his strength he licked his lips and tried to speak.

"Cameron?" he croaked, darkness gathering at the corners of his vision.

"That's right, Chase, I'm here. So is House. We're going to help you." Cameron told him, her eyes misting over with tears.

Chase struggled to draw another breath, "No, its okay, Allie, I'm too far gone. You deserve better than me." He told Cameron; calling her the nickname he called her when they were alone.

"Oh, Robbie, you are the most deserving person. I love you, and no-one else. My love for you makes the universe look tiny" Cameron whispered, kissing him. He smiled, recognising the phrase she had used from one he had used on their first date. Chase groaned weakly as his wrists throbbed. House chose this moment to interrupt his two ducklings' conversation. Cameron looked up at him.

"The ambulance will be here soon" he told her. Cameron nodded, before looking back at Chase. His breathing had started to become laboured, and what little colour he had in his face had gone. Chase looked up at her with his blue eyes.

"Cameron..." he began, but she instantly soothed him.

"Shhhh, Robbie, It'll be okay. The ambulance is almost here. You can tell me after your all better" Cameron hushed him, wishing at the same time that she was telling him the truth. She checked her grip on his wrists, and noticed that his bleeding had started to slow. Allowing herself to smile, she looked back at Chase's face.

"Allie, this is important" Chase whispered, "I love you, I always have. Ever since I met you, but reading my fathers notes made me realise what a failure I am, and how you don't deserve me. . By the time my father had the same amount of experience I have, he had saved so many more lives than I have. Don't deny it, because it's true"

Cameron broke down. "No, Robbie, you are not a failure, your Dad was a career obsessed bastard who didn't have social life to think of. You, on the other hand, are sweet and caring and you make the best damn coffees, and your good looking and brilliant in bed. I can't think of anyone else I'd be with rather than you. I love you so much." She sobbed, not caring wether or not House heard. Behind her back, House smirked slightly. Confessions, finally. Wilson owed him thirty bucks. From where he lay, Chase blinked his eyes, trying to clear his vision.

"I love you, Allie, I always will. When I'm gone I want you to be happy, okay. I'll always love you, Allie Cameron. He whispered before closing his eyes. Cameron sobbed loudly as she felt Chase go limp in her arms. House quickly pushed her aside as he realised what had happened. After feeling for a pulse and not finding one, House began CPR on Chase, while Cameron cried beside him. In the distance, the wails of the ambulance grew louder and louder, until the ambulance screeched to a halt outside the apartment. Cameron raced to fetch them, while House continued to attempt to revive his youngest duckling, his Wombat.

**A.N. Sob. Did you like it? Will he die, or won't he? Reviews appreciated. **


	5. Chapter 5

**TISSUE WARNING: character death within this chapter**

Chapter 5 – Goodbyes

Alison Cameron paced nervously in the hall way outside Chase's room at the hospital. Cuddy, Wilson and Foreman all sat, watching her, in chairs that lined the wall of the corridor. House was in the room with Chase, although whether he was aiding or abetting the team working on saving the life of his duckling was debatable.

"Cameron, sit down, they'll tell us if there is any news" Dr. Wilson told her. Cameron shook her head and continued to pace. Wilson rolled his eyes towards Cuddy.

"Well, I tried" he whispered. Cuddy shook her head sadly, and was about to say something when the door to Chase's room opened and House stepped out. Cameron stepped close to him, her eyes filled with tears.

"How is he?" she franticly asked. House's blue eyes betrayed him as he looked sadly at Cameron.

"He, he's on life support. I'm sorry, Cameron, but he was without oxygen for too long. He's in a coma, and from the testing we conducted, he's not going to come out of it. Cameron, I'm so sorry, he's brain dead." Cameron's' shock was evident on her face, and her legs gave way as she burst into tears again. Wilson caught her as she fell to the ground, cradling her close to him, rocking her, trying to sooth her. The other watched as Cameron screamed her disbelief to anyone that could hear.

"He can't be gone, please, he can't be gone. You're lying" she cried. House nervously cleared his throat, looking guiltily around their little group.

"If anyone wants to say, um, goodbye, then they might want to do so now" House said, awkwardly shuffling his feet and leaning on his cane. Cameron didn't make a move to be the first, so Cuddy spoke up.

"I'll go first" she said, entering the room. She emerged about fifteen minutes later, wiping her eyes, trying to hide the obvious signs that she had been crying from her colleagues. She had worked hard for her reputation as a hard shelled, stubborn woman, and it would not do to have that reputation shattered. By that time, Cameron was sitting in one of the chairs, with House on one side, and Wilson on the other. In a moment of kindness, House was letting Cameron sob into his shoulder, while Wilson tenderly patted her on the back. Seeing as both of his collogues were preoccupied with Cameron, Foreman entered the room, emerging two minutes later. Cuddy swapped places with Wilson, who strode into Chases room and closed the door behind him. He was in the room for longer, perhaps for twenty minutes, until he emerged, looking pale. House took a deep breath and rose unsteadily to his feet, leaning heavily on his cane, a sudden weariness washing over him in waves. He limped into the room his wombat was in and closed the door. Half and hour later, he emerged.

"Your turn, Cameron" he told her, holding the door open for her. Cameron sniffed and walked into the room, letting House close the door behind her. Her eyes were fixed on Chase's pale body, lying underneath the clean, white hospital sheets. She was instantly struck at how small, young, weak and child like he looked, just lying there. She sank into the seat beside his bed, listening to the sound of the various heart monitors, life support machines and other medical equipment. She was not normally affected by those sounds, as she heard them every day, but that day, they frightened her for the first time. Seeking comfort, Cameron reached out for chase's cold, lifeless hand, grasping it tightly in her own.

"Oh Chase" she whispered, wincing at how melodramatic she sounded. She gently stroked his arm, drawing her face close to his. She gently kissed his cheek, avoiding the various tubes and hoses that surrounded her lover. She sobbed as she recalled the previous Saturday night, where their love had consumed them, when they had, once again, felt the passion that they felt towards one another. She remembered, with a shudder, the vicious argument that had broken out the following morning, when she had, consumed by anger, stated that she had never loved him. She remembered the look of betrayal and hurt that had crossed his face. Cameron let out a wail of grief as a new realization dawned on her. It was her fault.

"I'm sorry, it's all my fault, please forgive me, Chase. I'm so sorry, Robbie, I never meant it, I love you, I swear. I'll never hurt you again, I promise. Please come back, just come back, that's all I ask" she begged. Chase remained motionless in the room, the silence only broken by the steady beeping of the machines keeping him alive. Cameron sobbed, and lovingly kissed Chase's hand. Cameron sighed and gently rubbed Chase's hand, trying to avoid looking at the bandages wrapped securely around his wrists. Instead, she gazed at Chase's pale face, trying to absorb its every detail in her memory.

"Oh Chase" she sobbed, bowing her head. She leant forward and kissed his face once more, before breaking down and crying one again, her head resting on Chase's bed, one hand still wrapped around his.

House, Cuddy and the others gave Cameron half an hour with Chase before deciding to check on her. Wilson tentatively knocked on the door, pushing it open. Cameron was sitting at Chase's bedside, gazing up at his face, and rubbing his hand gently. House was struck at how angelic; Chase looked, before shaking his head and clearing his throat.

"Cameron, it's time for him to go" he told her. Cameron bowed her head.

"I know" she whispered, her nose sounding blocked. Cuddy stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on Cameron's shoulder while the ICU staff, many of whom Chase had worked with many times before, entered the room and prepared to switch off the life support. Cameron stood and got out of the way, joining the others as they stood on the other side of the room. Once everything was prepared, the head ICU doctor looked at the group. House nodded, and the doctor's gaze switched to Cuddy, who also nodded, then Cameron, taking a deep breath, also nodded. The doctor nodded, and flicked the off switch on the machines. Cameron sobbed and buries her face into House's chest, and he, awkwardly patted her on the back, as the monitor showing Chase's heart rate showed a flat, green line, and emitted a high pitched, continuous beep.

**A.N. A thousand apologies about the amount of time between updates, as I was caught up with school stuff, such as exams, and many important assignments. Hopefully, as I am now on holidays, I can work on my stories a bit more. As always, please review. Your support so far has been great.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 - Realization

Cameron lay, sprawled out on her comfortable bed, trying to not think about Chase. Over a month had passed since Chase had died, and Cameron's grief had not diminished one bit. Everywhere she looked, she was reminded of him, especially at work. Cuddy had given the entire team bereavement leave, and had offered counseling to them all. Cameron was the only one still on leave, as House had only taken a few days off, and Foreman had not taken any, as he acted like nothing had changed. They all, however, had been present at Chase's funeral service, which had been held at the local Catholic Church. Wilson, House and Cuddy had all sat with Cameron, and Hose had even read about how great a doctor Chase had been.

Cameron was touched by how much her colleagues had looked after her, but the time had come when she had been frankly 'over it.' She knew they were worried that, she to, would take her own life, unable to cope without Chase at her side. In some ways, it was true. It was a struggle for Cameron to get up every morning, facing a life from which the young Australian Doctor was excluded from, and she felt consistently tired. Her entire body ached with a yeaning to see Chase again. Cameron slowly blinked her eyes. It was early in the morning, and she felt utterly miserable, bouts of nausea crushing over her body in waves that left her running for the toilet, heaving for breath as she repetitively vomited. Cameron groaned, leaning her pounding head against her bathroom cabinet, seeking the coolness of the hard service.

By that evening, Cameron was feeling marginally better, and was able to fake that she was quite well to Wilson, who dropped off some dinner. As he left, Cameron couldn't help but roll her eyes dramatically. House, Cuddy and Wilson seemed to think she was incapable of looking after herself, and so took it upon themselves to take turns in visiting her of an evening, and giving her a home made meal. With Wilson and Cuddy, it was good, because Cameron couldn't frankly be bothered to cook anything herself, but House's attempts left her feeling even worse, and more often or not, left her running towards the toilet, a hand clamped over her mouth. She shuddered at what House's cooking would do to her with her throwing up all morning, as the vomiting had only started that morning. Cameron quietly prayed to God that the vomiting would have ceased by the next morning.

God seemed to have been busy whenever Cameron tried to talk to him, because the nausea and vomiting continued on all week, and it was beginning to show. Cameron was loosing weight, and as she looked into her bathroom mirror after another bout of sickness, it was painfully obvious in her face. Cameron groaned. She knew House had noticed the previous night when he had delivered his meal to her, and he had made a point of sitting with her as she ate it, and for another hour afterwards, just to make sure she actually was eating it, and not throwing it right back up. Cameron was extremely grateful that the meal had been much better that what was usually provided by the older doctor, and she strongly suspected Wilson was behind it.

Each day that passed had become more of a struggle. Even the mere smells of foods, especially coffee, made her feel ill. Instead of feeling better, as Cameron had hoped, she had begun to feel worse. She found comfort in curling up on her couch with a blanket, and watching a good movie. The only bad thing was it made her miss Chase even more, as she remembered a similar evening, not long after she and Chase had started going out, where she had not been feeling well, and Chase had come round and let her lean against him as they had watched a movie, in the end both falling asleep before the movie had ended. Cameron sobbed at the memory. It just wasn't fair that Chase was gone. He'd never be there to comfort her; she'd never be able to snap at House for picking on Chase; she'd never be able to run her fingers lovingly through Chase's soft hair, and she would never again feel the warmth of Chase's body against hers. Cameron buried her face into the blankets and cried as the movie played in the background. Eventually, Cameron cried herself to sleep, the resounding grief she felt overwhelming her.

That evening, Wilson came around to Cameron's apartment, and was not surprised to see Cameron curled up on the couch, fast asleep. He took the opportunity to survey the young woman's face. House had been right; she did look thinner, especially around the face. Their were dark circles underneath her eyes, and tear stains running down her cheeks. Wilson sighed and pulled a scrap of paper towards him and scribbled a note to Cameron, before placing her dinner in her fridge, and heading for the exit. As he was leaving, however, Wilson looked at Cameron's coffee table, and noticed that a framed photograph of Cameron and Chase, taken at the previous years work Christmas party. Chase was wearing a Santa hat, and Cameron wore a pare of Reindeer Antlers. Wilson felt his eyes well up with tears once more. The young couple looked so blissfully happy in the photograph. Wilson shook his head, and quietly closed the door.

It was not long afterwards that Cameron woke up, her back aching from lying in such an awkward position for so long, and very hungry, as she had slept through lunch and breakfast was an unfathomable concept to her right now. Her eyes fell upon the coffee table, where she spotted Wilson's note, telling her that her dinner was in the fridge when she wanted it, and reminding her, for what felt like the millionth time, that if she needed to talk, he was available. Cameron rolled her eyes and prepared the meal, shoving it inside the microwave for two minutes. She ate, and then returned to her room, deciding that she may as well return to bed.

The next morning, Cameron awoke to feel nauseous already. Groaning, she got up and hurried to the bathroom, only just making it in time. She reached and vomited up everything in her stomach, and it didn't stop there. She coughed up some stomach acid, then just dry heaved, tears rolling down her face. Cameron was scared, scared of what was happening to her, scared of what she had become, scared about her future. She'd been away from work for so long, almost two months. It felt like her entire life, her entire body, had been turned upside down. Cameron scowled as she worked out figures. Her jaw dropped as realization dawned on her.

"Oh shit!" she gasped.

**A.N. Hahaha, evil laugh. Cliffe****. What's wrong with Cameron? Please review. The feedback I've been getting is great. Keep it up. **


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

By the time that a friend of Cameron's was due to arrive that evening with her dinner, Cameron had already confirmed her suspicions, a little white stick that she had bought from the local chemist telling her what she already knew. She was pregnant. Tears poured down her face as she looked at the positive pregnancy test. She couldn't tell if they were tears of joy, that part of Chase lived within her; or sadness that he would not be there to see his child grow up. Cameron leaned heavily against her bathroom wall, and slid down, until she was sitting on the cool, tiled floor, and pondered her future. She knew that she couldn't return to her work now. She couldn't bare the thought of House discovering that she was pregnant. Cameron looked around her bathroom from where she sat. Everywhere she looked, she was reminded of Chase. It wasn't only when she was at her own home, but just when she was out and about, and especially when she was at work.

Cameron knew from the moment Chase died that her career at PPTH was over. She knew the memories there were too fresh. Resolved, Cameron nodded. This pregnancy had provided the incentive for her to leave and make a new start. Cameron's resolve fell, however, when she realized something. How on earth was she going to explain this to House? He would complain about having to hold interviews for two new "ducklings," and he would know that there was another reason behind Cameron's resignation other than Chase dying. Cameron groaned, feeling a headache coming on. Chances were, House already knew. He probably already had diagnosed Cameron as being pregnant from his visits to her. Cameron got up again and walked to her kitchen, pouring herself a glass of water. Sipping slowly, she looked at the front of the fridge, where a table had been attached, showing who would be bringing her dinner for each day of the week. Cameron found the table very valuable; as it informed her who she had to convince that she was alright. On House's days, she would ensure she looked very respectable and healthy, applying fake tan, make up, and hair products, just to make her look healthy. With Wilson, all you needed to do was be dressed, and to be a good actor. Cuddy was a different thing entirely. She was the only one who Cameron felt comfortable enough with to allow her to see how she really was.

Cameron groaned with relief when she saw that Cuddy was on duty today, and hoped that she hadn't been held up. The previous night had been, supposedly, House's night, but he had obviously been held up at the hospital, and had got Wilson to cover him. Cameron was fiercely grateful for this, as it would have been really awkward if House had seen her sleeping.

That evening, Cameron found herself sitting in her lounge room floor, gazing out the window at the tree lined street below. A quiet knock on the door told Cameron that Cuddy had arrived.

"Come in" she called out. She heard the door open, and saw Cuddy walk in out of the corner of her eye. Cuddy placed Cameron's dinner on the kitchen bench and crouched beside her friend.

"How are you going?" she asked. Cameron almost smiled. That was always the first thing Cuddy said whenever she came over.

"Better, I think" Cameron admitted, not meeting Cuddy's gaze. Cuddy placed her hand on Cameron's shoulder.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked. Cameron looked at Cuddy's face.

"I'm resigning" she told her. Cuddy looked shocked.

"Cameron, Are you really sure about this?"

"Yes, Ever since Chase… died" Cameron took a moment to regain her composure, "It was obvious that I wasn't going to come back. I was just in denial of that earlier. It's all in perspective for me now."

"May I ask what put it into perspective for you?" Cuddy asked, curious. Cameron took a deep breath. Steadying herself.

"I'm Pregnant" she told Cuddy. Cuddy beamed and embraced Cameron.

"Congratulations Cameron. How far along are you?"

"Almost ten weeks, the morning sickness has really kicked up in the last week though." At this Cuddy started laughing

"What's so funny?" Cameron asked.

"House has been running differentials on you. He knows you've been losing weight, and you had other symptoms, and he wanted you admitted for tests. Foreman, Wilson and I talked him out of it. I never once heard any of them mention that possibility."

"What, House wanted me to be brought in!" Cameron yelled. Cuddy nodded.

"At least now he won't have to, know we know what's happening"

"No, Cuddy, No. I don't want them to know. House or Foreman, or Wilson can't know. My own parents don't even know yet. I'm not going to tell House."

"He's going to want a better excuse for your resignation, you know" Cuddy told Cameron, who groaned and nodded.

"I know. You would think that my boyfriend and colleague's death would be a significant enough excuse, but no, not for House. "

"I'll think of something, if you wish. What are you going to do after you leave?"

"I'm going down to Philadelphia. My parents live near there, and I think I want to be near them. I think I'll get a job at a hospital there temporarily, until I have the baby. Then I want to spend some time off and enjoy being a mother." Cameron looked out the window, a far away look upon her face. Cuddy smiled.

"I think you're going to be a great mum, Cameron." She smiled. Cameron nodded, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Do you think Chase would approve?" she asked, blinking. Cuddy rubbed her shoulder gently.

"Of course he would. He would approve of anything that felt right to you in your heart," Cuddy assured her friend, "and I think it is a very good plan, on one condition."

"What's that?" Cameron asked, curious.

"You stay in contact with me, as a friend, and at some stage, I want to meet baby Chase, okay?" Cameron smiled.

"You have a deal there."

"Good. I give my full support. If you ever need me, I'm only a phone call away. Now, it's time for the young mother–to-be to have her dinner, come on." Cuddy laughed and helped pull Cameron to her feet.

**A.N. well, here's the latest offering. I hope you enjoyed. I should be updating regularly for the next month or so, as I'm on Holidays (yay). As always, please read and review. **


	8. Chapter 8

**A.N. Just so you know beforehand,**_** italics**_** are what I use for flashbacks in this fanfic. Enjoy**

Chapter 8

House took the news of Cameron leaving surprisingly well, for House anyway. After several failed attempts at persuading Cameron to stay, and after resorting to begging, he finally accepted Cuddy's advice, and let it drop. Cameron came in one week after Cuddy told him about Cameron's resignation and cleared out her own locker, and double checked Chase's for anything that had been left behind. She tossed her stuff into the car, before returning to the conference room that had been, until recently, a second home to her. Everyone else was waiting for her. House, Wilson, Foreman, Cuddy, and a couple of the nurses and other doctors that she had worked with over the years. It was a subdued farewell, with Chase's death still creating a shadow over the proceedings. Cuddy, House and Wilson spoke a little about Cameron's work ethic, how great a person she was, and how great a pity it was that she was leaving. Even House was kind in his praise of Cameron, admitting he didn't want to see her go. It was not long, however, until it was time for Cameron to leave, Wilson to get to his own office for his next appointment, and House and Foreman to start looking for their next cases. After bidding fond, and in some cases, teary, farewells, Cameron left her former workplace. She carefully drove home, sighing with relief when she unlocked the door and stepping in. It had been difficult to be there again, but she had made it. She carefully steered around the packing boxes around her home and found her way to the kitchen, hooking a pre prepared meal out of her almost empty fridge, and putting it into the microwave for a few minutes. She had begun to, slowly; get over Chase's death in the past fortnight, ever since she had found out about her pregnancy. Cameron was still in disbelief that she'd never realized she was pregnant until she was almost ten weeks into the pregnancy. When Cameron had told her this, Cuddy had laughed, and told her that doctors often didn't pick up when they were pregnant. Running her hands across her flat stomach, Cameron imagined the day when she would be able to feel the bump, which would not be very far away. Hearing the microwave beep, Cameron sighed and opened up the machine, retrieving the container of food, and settling down on her couch to eat it.

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A few days later, Cameron was in Philadelphia, having sold her apartment in Princeton, placed most of her furniture, appliances, and belongings in storage, and moved in with her parents. Cameron was sitting on her bed, in the bedroom she had virtually grown up in. She smiled as she thought of her parents reaction when she had told them about her pregnancy.

"_Hi mum, its Alison. Is dad there?" Cameron spoke through her phone in Princeton, three day after discovering her pregnancy._

"_Yes darling, do you want me to put him on?"_

"_No mum, I just wanted to tell you guys something at the same time. Can you put your phone on speakerphone?"_

"_How do you do that again, sweetie?" Cameron's mother asked down the phone, and Cameron couldn't help but roll her eyes._

"_You press the button labeled speaker phone, and put the phone down, Mum" she instructed, and almost laughed as she could hear her mother talking to herself as she searched for the right button. Eventually, though, she heard her mother talking to her again._

"_Alright, Allie, we're all set up. What is it you wanted to tell us._

"_Um, well, you know what happened to Robert, you know, my boy friend?"_

"_Yes, sweetheart, how are you coping with that?" Cameron's' father asked._

"_Okay, I guess. That's not what I wanted to talk about. Well, Robert and I were sort of serious, and, well, I'm pregnant." A stunned silence followed this announcement._

"_Sweetheart, that's, that's wonderful, really. When are you due?" Cameron's mum finally said. Cameron let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding._

"_Late January or early February. I've decided that I don't want to live in Princeton anymore, because there are too many memories."_

"_That's good, Allie. Why don't you stay with us until you find your feet?" her father asked. Cameron silently sent up a prayer. She'd been hoping one of her parents would say that._

"_Thanks a lot, Dad, that would be great, if it's not too much trouble._

"_Oh, its no trouble at all, love" Cameron's mother scoffed down the phone. Cameron smiled._

"_You guys are the greatest, seriously" _

"_Oh, stop that. Now, when are you coming?" Cameron's mother asked, her tone suddenly business like._

Cameron sighed and lay back on her bed. She was worn out. Earlier that morning she'd gone for her first pre natal doctor's appointment. Cameron frowned, really hoping that House hadn't started spying on her medical records. Cuddy had promised she'd keep an eye on House, but then again, it was House, he would still try.

Cameron rested her hand upon her belly and closed her eyes, imagining what the baby would look like. She hoped it would take after Chase, but then again, she wouldn't care if it looked nothing like him, the only important thing was the knowledge, deep in her heart, that the baby was theirs, Hers, and Chase's.

**A.N. Just a short snippet to keep you going. It might be a while until my next update, as I'm going back to school soon (dramatic sigh) If I get heaps of reviews, I might be motivated to push extra hard for a update. (That was really mean, wasn't it? Bribery!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The weeks continued onwards, as they always have had a habit of doing. Cameron developed a noticeable bulge in her abdomen. Cameron recalled the day when, much to her excitement, she had felt the tiniest of bulges in her stomach, but that tiny bump had grown quickly into something that was quite obvious. Cameron was incredibly thankful that she was in Philadelphia, away from Princeton, away from House and his intruding, personal questions. Cameron spent most of her spare time resting, or looking for a home. Chase had left her everything in his will, and by herself she was by no means cash strapped. In the end, she had settled on a nice home, built in the Victorian style, in the outer suburbs, with a large backyard, and six bedrooms. One, she was going to convert into a study when she returned to work, and she liked the idea of converting another into a playroom for the baby when it was a little older. As Cameron waited for the financial details to be cleared up, she had put a calendar up on her parent's fridge, counting how many weeks into the pregnancy she was. In no time at all, she was seventeen weeks into the pregnancy, and Cuddy was visiting.

"Alison, have you booked in to have an ultrasound done yet?" Cuddy asked as they sipped tea over the dining room table, photos Cameron had taken of her house spread around in front of them. Cameron nodded.

"Yes, it's in a few days. I hope everything's going okay"

"Relax, you're doing wonderfully. Pregnancy suits you, honestly"

"Thanks. I swear. I've seen a lot of pregnant women in my time, and none of them have been this big at seventeen weeks"

"Maybe we figured your weeks out wrong." Suggested Cuddy, shrugging. Cameron shrugged, eyeing the calendar on the fridge. In her mind, she flicked through the pages until she reached the next January, when, on about the 15th, she was due. Cameron smiled. It was not very far away, not when you thought about it.

"It's almost Half over" she commented to Cuddy, who smiled.

"Yes. It is amazing how quickly time flies. At least you're not having morning sickness any more."

Cameron gently stroked her rounded stomach, "Yeah, that's a definite advantage of being at this stage. I'm not huge yet, but I'm not throwing up everything that I eat."

Cuddy nodded and took a sip of her coffee, glancing up at the clock on the wall.

"I've got to go, Cameron. Give me a call after your ultrasound and tell me how it goes. I'll come down next weekend to help with the move. Does that sound good?'

"Yes, that sounds fine" Cameron got up and walked Cuddy to the door. Cameron watched as her friend's car drove down the street, before closing the door with a sigh.

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Cameron watched, a joy swelling from deep within her, as she waited for her ultrasound to begin. Her mother sat beside her, eager to catch the first glimpse of her grandchild. Cameron's doctor, an old friend from college, completed preparing Cameron, and smiled.

"Ready, Alison, to meet your baby?"

"As I'll ever be"

"Good" The doctor flicked on the ultrasound machine, and the blurry figure appeared on the screen. Cameron closed her eyes as she heard the sound of her baby's heart beating for the first time. A slight frown crossed her face as she heard the heat beat. Something wasn't right. Cameron's eyes flashed open and she looked at the monitor, her medically trained eyes studying the image.

"Is that what I think it is?" she asked.

"Yes, it is" her friend answered, glancing at Cameron, smiling broadly.

"You've got a family history of Multiple births, don't you, Alison?"

"Yes. Oh my God, are you telling me that its twins!" Cameron gasped, shocked. Her mother squealed in excitement.

"Ahh, actually, Allie, its triplets, there's the third one."

"Oh my gosh. Triplets. I'm going to be a mother of three." Cameron smiled, the shock still settling in. Beside her, Cameron's mother was beside herself in joy

"Three, three little grandchildren. Oh, Allie."

Cameron gazed, mesmerized up at the screen, watching as her three little babies floated in nothingness.

"Their beautiful" she whispered, wiping tears from her eyes. Her mother hugged her.

"Robert's going to be thrilled, Allie. I know he is." She whispered, and Cameron nodded.

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Cameron walked through a park that was near her parent's house, admiring the beauty of the plants. She sat down upon a wooden bench, stretching her tired legs out, and closed her eyes, imagining Chase was sitting right there beside her.

"Robbie, its triplets" She whispered to him, and she imagined him smiling.

"You're going to do a good job raising them, don't worry, Allie. You'll be fine"

"They'll want to know about their father"

"And you can tell them when their older."

"I'm scared, Robbie. Triplets. It's going to be chaos when their little"

"You have lots of people to help you, don't worry. Your mum and dad, Cuddy, Wilson, House, Foreman, everyone at Princeton. You never know, House could be excellent at nappy changing." Cameron laughed.

"Maybe"

"Remember that I love you, I always have, and I always will, for an eternity. I love our babies too, I will always love them. I always will love all of you, I promise." Chase began to fade, and Cameron snapped her eyes open. Dusk had begun to fall, and the evening had turned cooler. Gathering up her bag, she hurried homewards.

By the time she got home, it was dinner time. Cameron talked the whole way through dinner, telling her parents about how she was going to decorate the baby's rooms and reflecting on how she was glad that she had bought such a large house. By 8:00, Cameron was sitting in the living room, dialing the number for Cuddy's house, and grinned when she heard Cuddy's voice form down the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi Cuddy, its Cameron. How are you?"

"Hi Cameron, I'm good, how was your Ultrasound?"

"Good. I got some excellent photos. Listen, you're not going to believe this!"

"What?"

"I'm having triplets"

"WHAT?"

"You heard me"

"But that's, amazing. Are you excited?"

"Yeah, and scared. Can you imagine what they're going to be like when they're toddlers?"

"You'll be fine"

"You sound like Chase"

"Is that good?"

"Yeah, I guess so"

"Good thing you got that big house, huh?"

Yeah. Speak of the devil, how's House, Wilson and Foreman been?"

"House has been his usual old self. He's been trying to get out of taking in new fellows. He and Foreman have been running around like crazy ever since you left just to get the work of four people done by only two. Wilson has been good though, it doesn't take much to phase him but."

"Do you know how good House is at changing nappies?" Cameron asked, thinking of her 'conversation' with Chase earlier that day. Cuddy laughed.

'Well, he could get good through practice. I thought you didn't want them involved."

"Maybe. I could never work in Princeton again, I've accepted that, but one day, after the babies are born, maybe I might let them in on the secret. See the look on House's face, anyway, when I tell him that there is going to be three little Chases running around." Cuddy laughed at the comment

"It would be worth it." She agreed.

A.N. Keep up the great feedback. Sorry for the infrequent posting, but I'm in my last year of high school, so I've been really busy. I will update as soon as I can.

R.W.


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